What Is A Computer?

January 30, 2020 | Jamie Hayes

What Is A Computer?


When I was a kid, the computer was the big grey plastic box sitting on the desk downstairs. I had to have it explained to me that that was actually the monitor. The real computer was actually the other big grey plastic box; the one that sat on the floor.

That piece of information suitably blew my mind, and I went through the following decade of my life satisfied that the rectangular box on the floor in my basement (the “tower,” as my Dad called it) was a computer. It took a long time before I questioned it any further.

But eventually, I got to thinking, “what is a computer?” It’s obviously more than just a box on the floor. There had to be something inside that box. And to be fair, a lot of people still wonder the same thing. We use computers for almost every aspect of our lives, but must of us probably don’t even know what one is. So let’s find out.


The Computer in Your Head

First of all, a computer is any device that can be programmed to process data. That can mean the phone in your pocket, the laptop on your desk, or even the brain in your head. But how we got from human computers to iPhones was a long process.

What Is A Computer?Shutterstock

Everyone knew that intense kid in high school who would say things like, “My brain the most powerful computer in the universe.” Well, it turns out, they weren’t far off. The first computers were, in fact, people. A guy by the name of Richard Braithwaite first coined the term “computer” to refer to someone who could perform calculations extremely quickly. Even up to the mid-20th century, if someone said the word “computer,” they were probably referring to a person.

Computing Tools

We had human computers long before we had digital ones, but that’s not to say they didn’t have help. Over the millennia, people have used many devices to make complex mathematical calculations quickly, from the humble tally stick and abacus to the intricate Antikythera mechanism from Ancient Greece or the astrolabes of the 12th-century Muslim world.

What Is A Computer?Shutterstock Replica of a medieval astrolabe

But while some people might refer to these devices as “computers,” they didn’t work on their own. The people operating them were still the computers. That fact wouldn’t change until Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace hit the scene in the 19th century.

Babbage and Lovelace

Babbage invented the concept of a programmable computer, and his colleague, the genius mathematician Ada Lovelace, wrote the first lines of code to operate it. While Babbage's machine, called the Analytical Engine, was extremely complex, somewhat impractical, and looked absolutely nothing like the big grey box under the desk in my childhood basement, it was a huge step towards the computer as we know it today.

Ada Lovelace factsGetty Images Ada Lovelace

Does Not Compute

Finally, in the 20th-century, modern computers began to take shape. Thanks to the work of pioneers like Alan Turing, more and more sophisticated devices became capable of more and more complex operations. Beginning with massive mechanical behemoths around the WWII era, new technologies started making computers that were smaller and more powerful. This eventually led to the home computer revolution, the laptop, the smartphone, the internet, and basically every aspect of our lives in 2020.

What Is A Computer?Shutterstock

So what is a computer? It’s that grey box under the desk in my basement, it’s the phone in my pocket, it’s Charles Babbage’s theoretical machine, it’s you, it’s me. All devices that could be programmed to process data. Well, except for me…I’m a lost cause on that front. But the rest of them are computers for sure.

Sources: 1, 2, 3


More from Factinate

Featured Article

My mom never told me how her best friend died. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery.

Dark Family Secrets

Dark Family Secrets Exposed

Nothing stays hidden forever—and these dark family secrets are proof that when the truth comes out, it can range from devastating to utterly chilling.
April 8, 2020 Samantha Henman

Featured Article

Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark history—or the chilling secret shared by her and Louis.

Madame de Pompadour Facts

Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress

Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark history—or the chilling secret shared by her and Louis.
December 7, 2018 Kyle Climans

More from Factinate

Featured Article

I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life.

These People Got Genius Revenges

When someone really pushes our buttons, we'd like to think that we'd hold our head high and turn the other cheek, but revenge is so, so sweet.
April 22, 2020 Scott Mazza

Featured Article

Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIII’s rejected queen—but few people know her even darker history.

Catherine of Aragon Facts

Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s First Wife

Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIII’s rejected queen—but very few people know her even darker history.
June 7, 2018 Christine Tran



Dear reader,


Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? We’re always looking for your input! Please reach out to us to let us know what you’re interested in reading. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from “Life” to “Compact Cars and Trucks” to “A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius.” We’ll get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics you’re interested in. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. Thanks for your time!


Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? At Factinate, we’re dedicated to getting things right. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. We want our readers to trust us. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. Please let us know if a fact we’ve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect it’s inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. Thanks for your help!


Warmest regards,



The Factinate team




Want to learn something new every day?

Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter.

Thank you!

Error, please try again.